Lance Bass

Lance Bass (James Lance Bass) rose from a modest upbringing in Laurel, Mississippi to become one of the most recognizable pop icons of the late 1990s and early 2000s. Born on May 4, 1979, he discovered a fascination with space at age nine after watching a Shuttle launch with his father, a memory he later described as the spark that set his lifelong ambition. After a childhood filled with church choir singing and participation in competitive show choirs, Bass answered an unexpected call from Justin Timberlake’s mother in 1995 and auditioned for a fledgling boy‑band that would become *NSYNC. His bass vocals helped the group sell over 70 million records worldwide, and albums such as No Strings Attached and Celebrity shattered sales records, cementing the band’s status as one of the best‑selling acts in history. During the height of his musical fame, Bass also pursued acting, starring in the 2001 film On the Line and appearing in cameo roles across a range of comedies, while founding production companies like Bacon & Eggs and Lance Bass Productions.


The former pop star’s passion for space led him to intensive cosmonaut training in Russia’s Star City, making him the first celebrity to receive official certification from both NASA and the Russian space program, although a sponsor withdrawal ultimately prevented his flight. In 2006 he publicly came out as gay, earning the Human Rights Campaign Visibility Award and publishing the bestseller Out of Sync the following year. Bass married Michael Turchin in December 2014, and the couple welcomed twin children via surrogacy in 2021. Beyond entertainment, he remains an outspoken advocate for LGBTQ+ rights, space education, and humanitarian causes, serving on the board of the National Space Society and supporting numerous charitable initiatives.